Department for Transport

Railways: Freight

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to encourage the growth of rail freight.

Andrew Jones: The Government is committed to transporting more goods by rail. The Government published a Rail Freight Strategy to provide a stable policy framework to enable rail freight to grow and achieve its potential. The Government is committed to working with the rail freight industry to support its continued success. The Strategy can be found at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/552492/rail-freight-strategy.pdfTo support future growth of the rail freight industry the Secretary of State also confirmed that Government intends to continue investment in improving the rail freight network in Control Period 6 (2019-2024) as part of the regulatory funding settlement.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Animal Feed: Research

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what comparative assessment he has made of the (a) number and (b) extent of trials of animal feed in the UK and Canada; and what estimate he has made of the level of funding available for that research.

Chris Skidmore: Holding answer received on 09 April 2019



The Government has made a commitment to increase overall investment in R&D to 2.4% of GDP by 2027, which would be the highest recorded level, and 3% in the longer-term. As part of this, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funds research into animal feed and agriculture more widely. However funding is not generally ringfenced for specific research areas and is decided based on the quality of the application. Innovate UK, now part of UKRI, has provided investment to the Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock (CIEL) to cover the start-up costs required to bring together a research base of 12 leading UK academic institutions and over 45 industry partners. The Centre will meet its wider costs through funding obtained from competitively won collaborative research and development grants and industrial partner membership fees. CIEL has helped to co-fund the development of new research facilities such as the £9.4 million CIEL Spen farm at the University of Leeds to provide a new indoor facility to carry out pig nutrition, behaviour, welfare and production system research and deliver feed recommendations to keep pace with ongoing genetic improvements. CIEL is one of four Agri-Tech centres that were funded as part of the Agri-Tech Strategy that was launched in 2013 as part of a £160 million commitment to UK Agriculture .

Fuel Cells and Hydrogen

Bill Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will establish a hydrogen and fuel cell task-force within his Department to assess the future role of hydrogen and fuel cells in delivering clean growth and decarbonisation.

Claire Perry: The Department is undertaking a range of activity to examine and further develop the evidence to support our own understanding of the potential role of hydrogen and fuel cells in delivering clean growth and decarbonisation in the UK. We recognise the value of engagement with partners beyond Government and work with many bodies representing the broad range of hydrogen and fuel cell interests, including industry groupings, regional groups, infrastructure providers, and network operators. This engagement and our ongoing assessment of the developing evidence base, shortly to include new advice from the Committee on Climate Change on meeting the UK’s long-term climate change targets, is important in informing Government ambition on hydrogen and fuel cells. We recognise the valuable role that Task Forces often have in shaping action to deliver Government ambition, and in that light we will keep the need for a specific hydrogen and fuel cell task force under review.

Science: Investment

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to encourage commercial investment in deep science ventures; what incentives the Government has in place to support such investment; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Skidmore: The Industrial Strategy sets out our plan to make the UK the World’s most innovative economy, building on our global leadership in science and research. We are supporting the Industrial Strategy ambition to raise the total R&D investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027, and 3% in the longer-term. The Government will invest an additional £7bn in R&D by 2020/2021. This will be the largest increase ever. The 2018 Budget allocated £1.6 billion of funding towards boosting transformative technologies, backing UK scientists and industry at the frontier of innovation. We are also supporting more companies to do research and development through the UK’s R&D Tax Credits Scheme. The Government is supporting research commercialisation and collaboration between university, business and charities through several significant investments. These include:providing support for the creation of new research centres and facilities through the £900m UK Research Partnership Investment Fund; and funding for the Catapult network.increasing Higher Education Innovation Funding to £250m pa by 2021 (to underpin universities capacity to work with business), and providing £100m for Connecting Capability Fund enabling universities to collaborate together, to pool resources and capability to make it easier for investors and business to access;as well as through established Research Council and Innovate UK mechanisms.British Patient Capital Ltd, a wholly-owned commercial subsidiary of the British Business Bank has been given resources of £2.5bn over the next 10 years to support venture and growth capital funds to make longer-term investments in innovative UK-based businesses with high growth potential.We are encouraging long-term investment into R&D, with £1.7bn invested in strategic research programmes through the first two waves of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. These challenges have been developed to broadly align with the Grand Challenges: Clean Growth, AI and Data, Ageing Society and the Future of Mobility, society-changing opportunities and industries of the future. We are also working in partnership with businesses to develop Sector Deals that will create significant opportunities to boost productivity, employment, innovation and skills.

Coal: Mining

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish the (a) name and (b) location of surface coal mines in the UK that are producing coal for all purposes; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: The list of surface coal mines and their locations is below, as of March 2019. Name of mineLocationBradleyDurhamBrenkley LaneNewcastle upon TyneEast Pit East RevisedNeath Port TalbotFfos-y-FranMerthyr TydfilField HouseDurhamGlan LashCarmarthenshireHalton-Le-GateNorthumberlandHarrington ReclamationDerbyshireHouse of WaterEast AyrshireNant HelenPowysShotton Surface MineNorthumberlandShotton SW & TriangleNorthumberland

Coal: Mining

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish the (a) names and (b) locations of surface coal mines in the UK that are scheduled to cease producing coal for all purposes; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: The list of surface coal mines, their locations and the date of when they are currently licensed until is below, as at March 2019. To note applications can be made to extend licences so the licence date shown is not necessarily when a mine will cease production of coal.Name of mineLocationCurrently Licensed Until BradleyDurham17/08/2020Brenkley LaneNewcastle upon Tyne01/09/2021East Pit East RevisedNeath Port Talbot21/10/2104Ffos-y-FranMerthyr Tydfil04/02/2097Field HouseDurham07/11/2020Glan LashCarmarthenshire31/03/2019Halton-Le-GateNorthumberland04/07/2019Harrington ReclamationDerbyshire07/01/2025House of WaterEast Ayrshire04/12/2019Nant HelenPowys08/07/2019Shotton Surface MineNorthumberland31/01/2020Shotton SW & TriangleNorthumberland31/01/2020

Coal Fired Power Stations

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the timeframe is for each active coal-fired power stations in the UK to stop producing electricity; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: In January 2018 we set out that all coal-fired power stations in GB will need to close by 1 October 2025 unless they invest to reduce their emissions to 450g CO2 per kWh. The exact timing of closure decisions or investments in abatement technology is a commercial matter for the relevant plant owner.

GKN: Birmingham

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect of the planned closure of the GKN Aerospace at Kings Norton, Birmingham on the local economy; and what discussions he has had with representatives of that company on that proposed closure.

Andrew Stephenson: Holding answer received on 11 April 2019



Following GKN’s notification to employees on 4 April about their intention to undertake a phased closure of their Kings Norton site in Birmingham by 2021, the Secretary of State spoke to Hans Buthker (CEO of GKN Aerospace) on 7 April. He explained that this proposal was the result of an internal strategic review by GKN to help the company secure long-term sustainability that will better position it for future growth. Mr Buthker stressed GKN’s continued commitment to the UK, evidenced by the significant new investment the company is making including, as part of this proposal, at Luton and Portsmouth and in a Global Technology R&D Centre at Filton. This comes on top of GKN’s further announcement last week for £300 million in new investment to ramp up its activities in the fast-growing electric vehicle market. This is a commercial decision for GKN Aerospace and not in contravention of the deed of covenant agreed between BEIS and Melrose. GKN Aerospace have confirmed the site will remain operational in a phased capacity until 2021, and all affected employees will be supported in seeking new employment within and outside of GKN Aerospace. GKN Aerospace announced they will be increasing overall investment in its other UK sites, with Luton and Portsmouth becoming technology centres of excellence. GKN Aerospace invested record levels into R&D in 2018, including a new world-class Global Technology Centre opening in Bristol in 2020, hosting 300 highly skilled engineers.   We appreciate this will be an unsettling time for the 172 employees at Kings Norton and will work closely with the company, and local partners, to make sure that they are supported throughout.

Flexible Working

Hugh Gaffney: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to encourage employers to offer flexible working schemes for all employees.

Claire Perry: All employees with 26 weeks’ continuous service with their employer already have the right to request Flexible Working. This accounts for over 90% of employees. The Government would like there to be more opportunities for flexible working, which is why we will consult on creating a duty for employers to consider whether a job can be done flexibly, and to make that clear when advertising. The Government is also looking to work with employers on a voluntary basis. A taskforce to promote flexible working has been established. This is comprised of representatives from across Whitehall, from key organisations like Carers UK and Working Families, the TUC and key business groups. The taskforce is tackling key questions around flexible working which are key to improving the recruitment, retention and progression of key groups in the workforce. The Government is committed to ensuring that the existing “right to request” legislation continues to have the desired impact. As part of this general commitment, it will be reviewed in 2020.

Wind Power: North Sea

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to increase the production of wind energy in the North Sea.

Claire Perry: The UK has the largest installed offshore wind capacity in the world, with over 7.9 GW operational. This will rise to around 14GW by 2023. The Offshore Wind Sector Deal, published on 7th March 2019 in collaboration with the sector, brings a strategic approach to the delivery of offshore wind that could see up to 30GW of offshore wind by 2030, with a significant amount of this potentially deploying in the North Sea. The UK also plays an important part in the North Seas Energy Cooperation together with the nine countries in the region. The aim of this initiative is to maximise the development of the renewable energy resources in the North Seas as cost-efficiently and sustainably as possible, for example by collaborating on the construction of offshore generation and grid infrastructure.

Post Office: ICT

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps is he taking to ensure the Government is held accountable for the decisions and actions of Post Office Limited in the handling of postmasters’ problems with Horizon.

Claire Perry: The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010. The courts are the right place to hear and resolve what are long-standing issues between some postmasters and the Post Office. While this matter rests with the courts it is inappropriate for the Government to comment further. The legal defence of this litigation and the costs involved in doing so are being handled by Post Office Ltd, which operates as an independent, commercial business within the strategic parameters set by Government.

Post Offices: Costs

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether public money has been used to pay costs involved in the ongoing dispute with postmasters since 2000.

Claire Perry: The courts are the right place to hear and resolve what are long-standing issues between some postmasters and the Post Office. While this matter rests with the courts it is inappropriate for the Government to comment further. The legal defence of this litigation and the costs involved in doing so are being handled by Post Office Ltd, which operates as an independent, commercial business within the strategic parameters set by Government.

Tim Parker

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Lord Chancellor will determine the extent of any conflict of interest on the part of Tim Parker by reason of his dual roles of (a) the Chairman of Post Office Limited; and (b) the Independent Chair of the HM Courts and Tribunal Service Board.

Claire Perry: There is no conflict of interest. The chairman of the HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) board has no involvement in individual cases, including listings or hearings. HMCTS manages the administration of courts and tribunals and has no influence over the outcome of hearings, which are decisions entirely for the independent judiciary.

Post Offices: Costs

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the anticipated increased cost implications are for Post Office Limited in its dealing with serving Subpostmasters following the High Court decision handed down on 15 March 2019.

Claire Perry: The courts are the right place to hear and resolve what are long-standing issues between some postmasters and the Post Office. This judgement relates to only the first trial and the outcome of the litigation will only be clear once the overall trial process is over. While this matter rests with the courts it is inappropriate for the Government to comment further. The legal defence of this litigation and the costs involved in doing so are being handled by Post Office Ltd, which operates as an independent, commercial business within the strategic parameters set by Government.

Post Office: Profits

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Post Office has never taken into profit from its suspense accounts any unreconciled sums recovered from Subpostmasters.

Claire Perry: The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010. The courts are the right place to hear and resolve what are long-standing issues between some postmasters and the Post Office. While this matter rests with the courts it is inappropriate for the Government to comment further. The legal defence of this litigation and the costs involved in doing so are being handled by Post Office Limited, which operates as an independent, commercial business within the strategic parameters set by Government.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 8 April 2019 to Question 240013, how much of the 2018/19 £200 million budget has been allocated to (a) support for the purchase of vehicles, (b) the installation of the necessary recharging and refuelling infrastructure, (c) a focused R&D programme to support development of innovative technologies, (d) a joint government - industry communications campaign and (e) support for local authorities to introducing a range of policies to support wider ULEV uptake in their areas respectively.

Andrew Stephenson: Holding answer received on 11 April 2019



Of the £200m the Government has allocated towards supporting the market for ultra-low emission vehicles in 2018/19 we are forecast to spend (a) nearly £140m to support the purchase of ultra low emission vehicles; (b) over £25m to support the installation of charging and refuelling infrastructure; (c) more than £25m on R&D for the development of innovative technologies delivered through Innovate UK; (d) around £0.7m on a joint government-industry communications campaign; and (e) over £26m to support local authorities. In 2018, the UK was the second largest market for ultra low emission vehicles in the EU accounting for nearly 20% of registrations, and 1 in 5 electric cars sold in Europe last year was made in the UK. In 2018, sales of ultra low emission vehicles were 2.6% of all new cars, up from 1.8% in 2017. Thanks to Government leadership, private sector investment and Local Authority engagement, the UK now has over 17,000 public chargepoints. At least 1,700 are rapid devices - one of the largest networks in Europe. We are determined to ensure that the UK continues to be one of the most competitive locations in the world for automotive and other advanced manufacturing.

Home Energy and Lifestyle Management: Green Deal Scheme

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2018 to Question 179252, how many Green Deal loan appeals relating to the company Home Energy & Lifestyle Management Ltd his Department has received; and how many of those appeals have been completed.

Claire Perry: As at 10th April 2019, a total of 100 appeals relating specifically to the company Home Energy & Lifestyle Management Ltd (HELMS) have been referred to my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State. One of these cases has been finalised (and is not subject to further appeal). The Secretary of State has issued Intention Notices in respect of four further HELMS cases. These are subject to representations from interested parties prior to a final decision. Good progress is being made to complete a large number of complex cases and we expect further Intention Notices to be issued shortly.

Wind Power: Scotland

Luke Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much funding the Government has allocated to offshore wind in Scotland since 2010.

Claire Perry: Offshore wind is supported under the Renewables Obligation (RO) and Contracts for Difference (CfD). The RO was available to all eligible generators[1]. Since 2015 onwards, support has been awarded on a competitive basis using Contracts for Difference (CfD). The offshore wind capacity brought forward in Scottish waters through RO and CfD since 2010 is approximately 2.3 GW[2]. The costs of these schemes are paid for through consumers’ energy bills and managed by Ofgem and the Low Carbon Contracts Company. From 2010 to 2017/18, the last financial year for which spend figures are available, there has been £355.6 million of spending under the RO on offshore wind in Scotland. No CfD payments were made in respect of offshore wind generation in Scotland during the same period.Innovation has been key in bringing down the costs of offshore wind. The work of the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, based in Glasgow and Levenmouth, has been, and will continue to be, important, in this. For example in June 2018 the ORE Catapult announced a £1.3 million programme of technology innovation projects designed to advance Scotland’s offshore wind sector[i]. In 2018, the Government also announced a further £73.5 million, five-year funding plan for the ORE Catapult. [1] The RO closed to new capacity on 31 March 2017 (with exceptions that extended the deadline to 31 March 2018 for certain offshore wind stations). Accredited capacity will receive support for 20 years or until the final closure of the scheme on 31 March 2037, whichever is the earlier.[2] CfDs awarded for 2,062 MW; under RO total installed at the end of 2017/18 was 218.5 MW. [i] https://ore.catapult.org.uk/press-releases/innovation-funding-boost-scottish-offshore-wind/

Post Offices: Closures

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many post offices have closed in each of the last three years in (a) Ellesmere Port and Neston (b) North West England and (c) the UK.

Claire Perry: Government committed in its 2017 manifesto to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services, recognising the important role post offices play to service their communities. Government investment led to the most stable network in generations, with over 11,500 branches across the UK, the largest retail network in the country. Number of open Post Offices since 2016 is as follows;   End of March 2018End of March 2017End of March 2016Ellesmere Port and Neston Constituency111112North West England111911171116UK115471165911643

Post Offices

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Post Office Branches classified as having community status (a) have been closed, (b) are operated by a temporary Sub Postmaster, and (c) are operated through an outreach service in (i) Scotland, (ii) Wales, (iii) Northern Ireland, and (iv) each region of England.

Claire Perry: The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010. While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. The management of the Post Office network, including Post Office community status branches, is an operational matter for Post Office Limited. I have therefore as ked Alisdair Cameron, the Group Interim Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Post Office branches under the Network Transformation Programme (a) have been converted and subsequently closed, (b) have moved to another location and subsequently closed, (c) have yet to receive new investment because the original branch that received funding has now ceased trading in (i) Scotland, (ii) Wales, (iii) Northern Ireland, and (iv) each region of England.

Claire Perry: The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010. While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. Temporary closures across the UK is an operational matter for the Post Office. is an operational matter for Post Office Limited. I have therefore asked Alisdair Cameron, the Group Interim Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices: Finance

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Post Office branches are receiving overscale payments, and what the value of those overscale payments is in each of the last five years, in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) Northern Ireland, and (d) each region of England.

Claire Perry: The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010. While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. Payments to branches are an operational matter for Post Office Limited. I have therefore asked Alisdair Cameron, the Group Interim Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices: Location

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reasons his Department did not conduct a consultation on opening new Post Office branches under the terms of the New Network Locations.

Claire Perry: Post Office Limited are required to notify customers when opening new branches rather than to carry out a consultation. This is in accordance with the ‘Principles of Community Engagement on Changes to the Post Office Network’ agreed with Citizens Advice, the independent statutory consumer watchdog. The document is available at this link: http://corporate.postoffice.co.uk/sites/default/files/Principles%20of%20Community%20Engagement_June%202018.pdf



PO - Principles of Community Engagement 
(PDF Document, 291.66 KB)

Post Offices: Location

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the cost of the Post Office’s New Network Location Programme is, and how that programme is funded.

Claire Perry: Government has invested over £2 billion in the Post Office since 2010. Funding has been split between subsidy funding to support branches that are not economically viable and investment funding to modernise the post office, including transforming branches and franchising some directly managed branches. The split for the current funding package between April 2018 to March 2021 is £210 million in investment funding and £160 million in subsidy. Network Development programmes, including the New Network Location Programme, are funded from the current funding provided to Post Office Limited from Government. While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. Thus, the precise allocation of funding to different programmes is an operational matter for Post Office Limited and subject to commercial confidentiality.

Post Offices: Location

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the New Network Location Programme on existing post office branches.

Claire Perry: The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010. While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. The Department has made no such assessment because the management of the network is an operational matter for Post Office Limited. I have therefore asked Alisdair Cameron, the Group interim Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices: Location

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many New Network Locations have opened in each year of the New Network Location Programme, and how many are planned to open in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) Northern Ireland, and (d) each region of England.

Claire Perry: The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010. While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. The management of the network is an operational matter for the Post Office. I have therefore asked Alisdair Cameron, the Group Interim Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Pay Zone branches are planned to be converted into Post Office Locations in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) Northern Ireland, and (d) each region of England.

Claire Perry: The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010. While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. Any plans to convert Pay Zone branches into Post Office Locations throughout the UK is an operational matter for Post Office Limited. I have therefore asked Alisdair Cameron, the Group Interim Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices: Franchises

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many operators operate more than 10 locations in the Post Office Network in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) Northern Ireland, and (d) each region of England.

Claire Perry: The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010. While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. Operators of the Post Office Network throughout the UK is an operational matter for Post Office Limited. I have therefore asked Alisdair Cameron, the Group Interim Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices: Staff

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions his Department has had with the Post Office on resolving the matter of sub-postmasters who are unable to leave their branch due to inability to meet criteria or find an alternative location.

Claire Perry: The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010. While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. The contractual relationship between Post Office Limited and postmasters is an operational matter for Post Office Limited. I have therefore asked Alisdair Cameron, the Group interim Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Office: Royal Mail

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the status of the contract between the Post Office and Royal Mail; and what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the continuation of that contract.

Claire Perry: The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010. While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. The contractual relationship between the Post Office and Royal Mail is an operational matter for Post Office Limited. I have therefore asked Alisdair Cameron, the Group interim Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices: Staff

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the health and wellbeing of sub-postmasters who remain in their Post Office branch because no viable alternative has been found.

Claire Perry: The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010. While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. The health and wellbeing of postmasters is of course a priority for Government. I have therefore asked Alisdair Cameron, the Group Interim Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Fracking: Costs

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to his Written Statement of 25 January 2018, if he will publish the outcome and ancillary assessment documentation of all financial resilience tests to confirm an applicant’s ability to fund decommissioning costs pursuant to the process outlined to secure final consent to hydraulically frack.

Claire Perry: The Government has published the outcome of all financial resilience assessments completed to date as part of the decision document issued when granting Hydraulic Fracturing Consent. These can be accessed at the following links:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/decision-announced-on-the-hydraulic-fracturing-consent-application-by-cuadrilla-bowland-ltd; andhttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hydraulic-fracturing-consent-hfc-application-by-cuadrilla-bowland-ltd-preston-new-road-site-pnr-2-decision-notice.The Government has no plans to release any further ancillary assessment documentation as this contains commercially sensitive information.

Third Energy: Licensing

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Oil and Gas Authority assessed whether the relevant operator required a guarantor when granting Third Energy an extension to its work commitments for AL006, DL005,  PL079, PL080, PL081, PEDL177, PL077 published in December 2018.

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Oil and Gas Authority required a guarantor, the details of that guarantor and the terms of the guarantee for the extension of Third Energy's work commitments published by the Authority in its Retention Areas Agreed (Updated December 2018) 2014 Model Clauses.

Claire Perry: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave her on 8 April 2019 to Questions 238646 and 238647.

Manufacturing Industries: North of England

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to promote manufacturing in the North.

Andrew Stephenson: The Government recognises that the North of England is home to a wealth of manufacturing assets that play a crucial role in boosting regional economies. Advanced Manufacturing – as identified in the Northern Powerhouse Independent Economic Review, published in 2016 – is one of the North’s ‘prime capabilities’, and an historic strength. Through Made Smarter – our key national industrial digitalisation programme – we are investing over £140m to ensure that the UK is at the forefront of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In January 2019, we launched the Made Smarter North West Pilot; backed by £20m of government funding, this pilot is working with the Northern Powerhouse, and local partners, to provide support for up to 3000 manufacturing SMEs to adopt, and exploit, digital technology to increase their productivity. 600 of these SMEs will be able to receive intensive support, and 480 of those companies will be able to access grants of up to £20,000 to spend on specialist advice, kit, and technology. In addition to Made Smarter, we are investing significantly in projects that will benefit the North, as well as the UK in general. We:Are investing £3.4 billion up to 2021 in the Northern Powerhouse through “Growth Deals”Established the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), in the Sheffield City Region. It has received Government Growth Deal funding to help secure recent major investments from Boeing, and McLarenEstablished the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) in Wilton, that focuses on the commercialisation of R&D in advanced manufacturing to support major markets, such as healthcare, electronics, food and drink, aerospace, automotive, materials, and energy. The AMRC and CPI are two of the seven centres that make up the High Value Manufacturing Catapult. We want all areas across the country, including the North, to benefit from exciting new technologies that can transform industry, and society, giving our great cities the power, and resources that they need to reach their huge untapped potential.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Vedanta

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of  the (a) human rights and (b) environmental record of the UK-listed company Vedanta Resources in its overseas operations.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has plans to undertake an investigation into allegations of (a) human rights abuses and (b) environmental damage by the UK-listed company Vedanta Resources in its overseas operations.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the legality of the commercial operations of the UK-listed company Vedanta Resources in (a) India and (b) Zambia in relation to human rights law.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what processes his Department has put in place to monitor the compliance of UK-listed companies with international (a) human rights and (b) environmental law in relation of operations overseas.

Mark Field: In line with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the British Government encourages all companies to conduct human rights due diligence and to put in place measures to mitigate any human rights impacts caused by their operations and to assist with access to remedy accordingly. In its National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights, updated in 2016, the Government has set out its approach to ensuring that those affected by business-related human rights abuses by UK-based business enterprises have access to effective remedy. The UK is also a signatory to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises maintains a National Contact Point (NCP) to promote the Guidelines, and implements a complaints mechanism. The complaints mechanism can include the examination of instances where alleged abuses of human rights or environmental damage may have occurred.The UK NCP has previously handled a complaint against Vedanta Resources plc (Vedanta) from Survival International regarding activities related to the planned construction of a bauxite mine in India. The UK NCP issued a final statement on the complaint in September 2009: September 2009: UK NCP Final Statement - Complaint from Survival International against Vedanta Resources plc in which the UK NCP made recommendations to Vedanta with the aim of assisting the company in bringing its practices in line with the Guidelines; including that Vedanta engage with the indigenous group named in the complaint and include a human and indigenous rights impact assessment in its project management process. In line with its published procedures, the UK NCP issued a follow-up statement on the case in March 2010 UK. The statement can be found on the NCP website: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/uk-national-contact-point-for-the-organisation-for-economic-co-operation-and-development-guidelines. We are awaiting the result of the case before the Supreme Court brought on behalf of 1,826 claimants in Zambia against Konkola Copper Mines, a subsidiary of Vedanta.The Government considers that it has met its responsibilities under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: to set out the requirements of businesses with respect to human rights, to promote responsible business practices and to support access remedy for human rights abuses with regard to the activities of Vedanta Resource plc (Vedanta).

Indian Ocean Tuna Commission

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 1 April 2009 to Question 237799 on Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, whether as a result of the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion, the Government plans to relinquish its claim to membership as a coastal State under Article IV of the Agreement for the establishment of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission in favour of Mauritius.

Sir Alan Duncan: This is an Advisory Opinion, not a judgment. We reiterate our longstanding commitment to cede sovereignty when the territory is no longer required for defence purposes. We will continue to seek a bilateral solution to what is a bilateral dispute with Mauritius.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Defence

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2019 to Question 236358 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Defence, what use the US has made of the Outer Islands of the Chagos Archipelago in relation to the effective operation of its defence facility on Diego Garcia.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Outer Islands are integral to the effective operation of the defence facility on Diego Garcia.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Defence

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2019 to Question 236358 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Defence, which countries have made use of the UK and US defence facility on Diego Garcia in the last five years.

Sir Alan Duncan: The UK/US defence facility on Diego Garcia is used by the UK and our allies.

Iran: Religious Freedom

Martin Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has plans to make representations to his Iranian counterpart on the freedom of religion or belief for (a) Baha’is and (b) Christians in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Field: ​I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 15 January 2019 (PQ 206031). In addition, at the Human Rights Council in March 2018, the UK strongly supported the renewal of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran. We called on Iran to allow the UN Special Rapporteur access to the country so that he can carry out his mandate.

Kuwait: Human Rights

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Kuwaiti counterpart on human rights violations in that country; and will he make a statement.

Mark Field: The former Minister for the Middle East and North Africa most recently had discussions with his counterpart during the UK-Kuwait Joint Steering Group in Kuwait in December 2018. As part of his discussions, and as a reflection upon our strong bilateral relationship, he spoke openly and honestly about a number of issues and that includes human rights.

Attorney General

GATT

Kate Hoey: To ask the Attorney General, whether he has provided advice to the Prime Minister on whether the Government is able to trigger article 24 of the WTO General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Geoffrey Cox: I regularly meet ministerial colleagues to discuss important issues of common interest, including on matters relating to the UK’s exit from the EU. I am unable to disclose the legal content of those discussions because whether or not the Law Officers have given advice and the content of any such advice is, by convention, not disclosed outside Government. The Convention protects my ability as chief legal adviser to the Government to give full and frank legal advice about some of the most contentious and difficult issues the Government will be considering.

Department of Health and Social Care

Operating Theatres

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) reduce delays and (b) increase efficiency in operating theatres.

Stephen Hammond: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 April to Question 239987.

Irlen Syndrome: Medical Treatments

James Frith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) treatments and (b) support is provided by the NHS to (i) adults and (ii) children with Meares-Irlen Syndrome.

Caroline Dinenage: In England, free National Health Service funded sight tests are available to eligible groups, including those under 19 and in full time education, with the purpose of detecting signs of injury, disease or abnormality and giving an individual a written prescription for glasses or referring them to a doctor for further examination. Funding is also available under the NHS voucher scheme for the provision of spectacles with a prescription power to correct a defect of sight identified during the NHS sight test. This could include a coloured tint if considered clinically necessary. Clinical commissioning groups are responsible for commissioning services to meet the needs of their local population. This could include services over and above the NHS sight test, such as those to meet the needs of people with visual perceptual disorders.

Medicine: Research

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to encourage the NHS and GP practices to increase participation in commercial research.

Caroline Dinenage: Through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the Government is investing in the infrastructure, skills and facilities that the National Health Service and general practitioner (GP) practices need to participate in commercial research. In 2017 the Government announced more than £950 million investment in research infrastructure in the National Health Service including Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs), Clinical Research Facilities, Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres (funded in partnership with Cancer Research UK and the Devolved Administrations) and Medtech and In vitro diagnostics Co-operatives. These centres and facilities conduct and support translational research to transform scientific breakthroughs into life-saving treatments for patients. In 2017-18, NIHR research infrastructure has generated over £231 million of industry research investment, and the NIHR BRCs have supported over 1,770 Industry collaborative and contract research studies, filed 199 patents, and created five spin-out companies. The NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) supports the delivery of clinical research trials and other studies in the NHS to quality, time and target, providing world-class health service infrastructure, for example research support staff such as clinical research nurses; and research support services such as pharmacy, pathology and radiology, to support clinical research in the NHS in England. In 2017-18 the NIHR CRN achieved record levels of recruitment with over 725,000 people taking part in clinical research studies supported by the Network. Of these, over 50,000 participants were recruited to studies sponsored by the life sciences industry, including 24 global first patients. Around 10,000 of these participants were recruited in primary care, primarily through GP practices. The NIHR CRN has the ambition to increase the proportion of NHS trusts and GP practices involved in delivering commercial clinical research. In 2017/18 99% of NHS trusts and 32% of GP practices were actively engaged in clinical research, and 82% of NHS trusts and 2% of GP practices recruited patients into commercial contract research studies. The Life Sciences Industrial Strategy and Sector Deals confirm the United Kingdom’s commitment to life sciences research. Life Sciences Sector Deal 2 announced a suite of measures to make our clinical research environment faster, more efficient, streamlined and innovative. The NIHR has committed to work closely with industry and NHS trusts to investigate workforce resource challenges in commercial contract research, and to identify opportunities to recognise and incentivise NHS trusts and GP practices acting as participant identification centres. The NHS Long Term Plan recognises that increased research participation leads to improved healthcare performance and that research and innovation are important for the UK economy, confirming that the NHS endorses and will play its full part in delivering the Life Sciences Sector Deals. In addition, the Long Term Plan commits to increase the number of people registering to participate in health research to one million by 2023/24, and to continue to make it faster, cheaper and easier to undertake research in England through simpler standardised trial set-up processes and prices, initiated as part of NHS England’s 12 Actions to Support and Apply Research in the NHS.

Department of Health and Social Care: Disclosure of Information

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many non-disclosure agreements his Department has entered into with departmental staff in each of the last five years.

Caroline Dinenage: No such non-disclosure agreements have been agreed by the Department during this timeframe.

Doctors: Palestinians

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many successful applications there have been for the Medical Training Initiative from applicants from the Occupied Palestinian Territories in each month since January 2018.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to work with (a) the NHS and (b) universities to increase the number of places available on the International Surgical Training Programme for trauma surgeons from Gaza.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people from the Occupied Palestinian Territories have travelled to the UK to take part in the International Surgical Training Programme since the start of 2018.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people from Gaza have travelled to the UK to take part in the International Surgical Training Programme since the start of 2018.

Stephen Hammond: The Medical Training Initiative (MTI), within which the International Surgical Training Programme (ISTP) operates, enables up to 1,000 international medical and dental graduates per year to enter the United Kingdom to experience training and development in the National Health Service for up to two years before returning to their home country. Applicants are prioritised if they are from countries on the Department for International Development approved priority list and Lower Income and Lower Middle Income priority countries. The information is not held by the Department in the format requested. However, the following table shows the total number of successful applicants from the Occupied Palestinian Territories to the MTI between April 2017 and December 2018 by headcount. Total number of successful applicants from the Occupied Palestinian Territories to the MTI between April 2017 and December 2018 headcount Total number of successful applicants from the Occupied Palestinian Territories to the MTIApril 2017 to March in 2018-April 2018 to December 2018-Source: Academy of Medical Royal Colleges internal management information Notes:“-“ indicates a number between one and ten that has been suppressed for confidentiality reasons The Department has regular discussions with both the National Health Service and higher education institutions on a range of policy initiatives. The ISTP is run by the Royal College of Surgeons, and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges has oversight in its role as the organising body behind the MTI, of which the ISTP forms part. As such, any decision allocation of places on the ISTP will necessarily be developed by the institution(s) running the programme in the first instance. Information on the number of people from the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Gaza that have travelled to the UK to take part in the ISTP since the start of 2018 is not held centrally.

Doctors

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his department taking so that Locum Doctors are not being used to fill permanent posts.

Stephen Hammond: The Department is committed to ensuring that trusts can fill permanent medical posts in the most cost-effective way and this means training, recruiting and retaining doctors in these posts on substantive National Health Service contracts rather than relying on locums. We are addressing the challenge in a variety of ways. We are increasing the supply of doctors into the NHS. By 2020 there will be an extra 1,500 students entering medical training each year; 630 of these additional trainees took up places on medical courses in September 2018, bringing the total intake for 2018/19 to 6,701. A further 690 places are available this year (2019/20) and the remaining 180 will be available next year (2020/21). NHS Improvement is working in partnership with NHS Employers to improve staff retention in trusts across England. In July 2017 they launched a major programme which, through targeted support to all NHS trusts in England, aims to stabilise and then bring down leaver rates by 2020. The trust sector has also introduced a number of initiatives including promoting the benefits of NHS employment over agency work, making improvements to NHS staff banks, and increasing the flexibility of substantive contracts. Even with these measures, it will still be necessary to occasionally use locum doctors to fill vacancies whilst recruitment is taking place so our efforts are also focused on reducing the cost of agency staff. We are doing this through the use of agency expenditure ceilings, price caps on agency rates and procurement frameworks. As a result, trusts have reduced their total annual expenditure on agency staff by £1.2 billion - from £3.6 billion in 2015/16 to £2.4 billion in 2017/18. This reduction includes a £400 million fall in medical locum expenditure. To further reduce agency spending, and support flexible working, we are also working with NHS Improvement to facilitate the development of tech-enabled staff banks, covering all staff groups, in all trusts.

Social Services: Older People

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has a policy to reduce the time older patients have to wait for a care plan in their homes so that they do not have to be in hospital beds.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government recognises the need to maintain independence and support rehabilitation of people at risk of hospital admission or those who have been in hospital. It is important that patients receive properly joined up care at the right time in the optimal care setting. As such, getting discharge right and ensuring patients are being supported to recover their independence and, where appropriate, treated in their homes is a priority for this Government. This is why we have identified intermediate care as an essential component of ‘Discharge to assess’ within the High Impact Change Model (HICM) to support discharge from hospital. We have further underpinned this by making the High Impact Changes a condition of the Better Care Fund. Other system changes detailed in the HICM support faster discharge for people into their own homes, such as Early Discharge Planning. This sets expectations on acute hospitals to begin planning for a person’s discharge as soon as possible. This is supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Guidance for Intermediate Care which sets out across the how support for older people whether transitioning from a hospital admission or those in crisis in their usual place of residence can receive care and support. Additionally, the NHS Long Term Plan made clear the importance of moving care into the community, and the Government’s commitment to achieving this. It confirmed that over the next 10 years the National Health Service will deliver more care closer to home, and to support this at least an extra £4.5 billion pounds a year by 2023/24 will be invested in primary care and community health services.

Cerebral Palsy

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help people who suffer from Cerebral palsy to equipment to aid walking.

Caroline Dinenage: It is for clinical commissioning groups and local authorities to commission services that best meet the needs of their populations, including those with cerebral palsy. There are numerous mobility aids to assist walking and help with mobility limitations associated with cerebral palsy such as orthotic devices worn externally to improve and strengthen mobility, walkers, crutches, walking sticks and canes. Some do not require a prescription or the approval of a doctor to be purchased. An orthopaedic surgeon, orthotist or physical/occupational therapist should evaluate the patient’s condition to determine what support they need.

Health Services: Equality

Heidi Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the Person Based Resource Allocation formula on reducing health inequality in (a) Cambridgeshire and (b) other high-growth areas.

Heidi Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS Long Term Plan, published in January 2019, when the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation plans to start its review of the inequalities adjustment to the funding formulae.

Heidi Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to support Care Commissioning Groups that experience a disproportionate level of population growth.

Stephen Hammond: NHS England is responsible for decisions on the weighted capitation formula used to allocate resources between clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). This process is independent of Government. NHS England take advice from the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA), a group of academics and other experts. ACRA has recommended a new approach to health inequalities which was reflected in the CCG allocations published on 10 January 2019. Population figures for all programme allocations are based on general practitioner registered list sizes, as they have been since 2013-14. Increases for future years are based on the Office for National Statistics estimates of population trends for resident populations, which is the only consistent and robust national data set available to use for this purpose. Full details of the CCG allocations announcements for 2019-20 to 2023-24 can be found at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/allocations/

Health Professions: Training

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure the adequate provision of training on modern slavery to (a) clinical and (b) healthcare staff.

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Office about the training UK medical schools provide on modern slavery.

Stephen Hammond: There have been no recent Ministerial discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Office specifically about the training United Kingdom medical schools provide on modern slavery. However, Health Education England runs an e-learning programme called e-Learning for Health (e-LfH) working in partnership with the National Health Service and professional bodies to support patient care by providing e-learning to educate and train the health and social care workforce. e-LfH includes a Modern Slavery programme which provides an overview of the issue of modern slavery. It is aimed at helping all healthcare staff recognise the signs that someone has been trafficked, and to take appropriate action with confidence. More widely, the Government recognises that clinical and healthcare staff have a significant role when they suspect that a patient is being trafficked. The position from NHS England is that it is vital that NHS health staff follow statutory processes for safeguarding referrals for adults as well as children given the wealth of evidence pointing to victim’s likelihood of havingcare and support needs which require a coordinated response and assessment by the local authority as the accountable agency. Resources are available to enable healthcare staff identify individuals who may be victims of trafficking, and to respond in an appropriate manner. This includes understanding ways in which healthcare staff can provide support to those who may be victims.

NHS: Logos

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will detail payments made by third parties in each of the last three years in return for use of the NHS logo.

Caroline Dinenage: Other than the nominal £1.00 payment, included as standard in the NHS Licence Agreement, no payments have been received by the Department from third parties for use of the National Health Service logo over the last three years.

Department of Health and Social Care: Brexit

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has deprioritised any Statutory Instruments in relation to the UK leaving the EU; and if he will publish the criteria his Department uses to deprioritise those Instruments.

Stephen Hammond: Holding answer received on 15 April 2019



The Department has not deprioritised any European Union exit Statutory Instruments (SIs). Our objective has always been to have a functioning statute book in place by ‘exit day’ and to ensure that the most critical secondary legislation was made by this point. Each SI was carefully considered on a case-by-case basis, enabling the Department to lay the critical secondary legislation required before we exit the EU. Given the extension to Article 50, the Department will consider whether any further EU exit SIs will need to be brought forward to amend any EU Regulations which have come into force since the original EU Exit SI programme was finalised, to ensure a functioning statute book ahead of a potential ‘no deal’ exit. The Department will keep this under careful review.

Department for International Development

Middle East: Humanitarian Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps are being taken to address the humanitarian crisis which has followed the territorial defeat of Daesh.

Harriett Baldwin: We are committed to meeting humanitarian needs in areas of Syria and Iraq liberated from Daesh. In Northeast Syria we provided over £40 million in UK aid last year to meet urgent needs. DFID-funded partners are delivering critical activities including demining, child immunisation, nutritional supplements for children and pregnant women, and supporting primary health centres and mental health work. In Iraq last year, the UK also committed over £40 million of humanitarian support, providing a vital lifeline to millions of vulnerable people. Since 2014, UK funding in Iraq has helped provide: food assistance to over 408,000 people; emergency cash transfers to over 274,000 people; shelter kits, upgrades to camps and household items to over 836,500 people; life-saving healthcare services to over 4.1 million people; and safe drinking water, toilet and shower facilities to more than 2 million people.

Southern Africa: Storms

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to support the recovery (a) Mozambique and (b) other east coast African nations after the recent cyclone which affected those countries.

Harriett Baldwin: So far, the UK has provided a package of up to £36m support to the response to Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. This UK aid funding is supporting the provision of food (through both in-kind assistance and cash transfers) to hundreds of thousands of people; life-saving relief supplies, such as family tents and hygiene kits; and child protection assistance. Up to £4m of UK aid funding will also be used to support the provision of education to affected people in Mozambique following the destruction of schools during the cyclone.

Department for International Development: Secondment

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 9 April 2019 to Question 239838 on Department for International Development: Secondment, how many of the 101 Departmental staff have been removed from projects and programmes in (a) Pakistan, (b) Ethiopia, (c) Nigeria, (d) South Sudan, (e) Yemen and (f) Syria to support essential work in relation to the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

Harriett Baldwin: DFID has not deployed any staff based in Pakistan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Yemen or Syria to support other government departments with EU exit preparation.

Pakistan: Education

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department has allocated to each educational project in Pakistan in each of the last three years.

Harriett Baldwin: Since 2011, DFID has benefited 10 million primary and nearly 6 million secondary students in Pakistan. This support is mainly focussed on schools in the Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh with our two largest sector reform programmes operating in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. In the last 3 years DFID Pakistan has spent the following on each education project:Project2016/20172017/20182018/2019Total202328 - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Sector Programme£36.4m£34.2m£28.9m£99.5m202491 - Transforming Education in Pakistan£3m£3m£2m£8m202697 - Punjab Education Support Programme II£68.4£64.1m£41.6m£174.1m204277 - Ilm Ideas Education Innovation Programme II£3.3m£5.5m£8.3£17.1m300238 - Sindh Education Non-State Actors (SENSA) £3.1m£3.6m£1.8m£8.5m

Department for International Development: Secondment

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2019 to Question 234782 on Department for International Development: Secondment, what the length of secondment is for those 74 staff already deployed.

Harriett Baldwin: DFID continues to work to support other government departments’ increased resource demands as a result of the UK’s exit from the EU, whilst ensuring continued delivery of its core business. DFID is working closely with OGDs to match to urgent EU Exit resource requirements across government. Deployment periods are varied, depending on the nature of the work required but do not exceed the Government’s no deal response period.

Females: Equality

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to increase women’s equality throughout the world.

Harriett Baldwin: The UK aims to promote gender equality and secures women’s rights around the world, guided by DFID’s Strategic Vision for Gender Equality and the UK National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. For example, through UKaid, we have given nearly 17 million women access to modern methods of family planning and supported 5.6 million girls to gain access to a decent education since 2015. We recently made the largest donor commitment ever (£50 million) to ending female genital mutilation across Africa and announced a new UK government campaign to end period poverty globally.

Developing Countries: Sustainable Development

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to increase private sector involvement in delivering the global goals.

Harriett Baldwin: The private sector has a critical role to play in delivering the Global Goals. DFID is taking a number of steps to facilitate this, including:- Harnessing the expertise, knowledge and resource of the UK private sector to deliver the Global Goals through the Great Partnership initiative.- Supporting businesses to measure progress on delivering the Global Goals through our support for the World Benchmarking Alliance, launched in 2018, which will rank companies on their contributions to the Global Goals. We have also supported the Global Reporting Initiative, which helps businesses understand and communicate their impact on issues such as climate change and human rights.- Supporting the UN Global Compact to encourage businesses to operate responsibly by aligning their strategies and operations in line with Ten Principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.- Investing up to £3.5bn of additional capital in CDC, the UK’s Development Finance Institution, which invests in businesses across Africa and South Asia to create jobs.- Holding a National Conversation to find out more about the public’s views on how their savings and pensions can be invested in the Global Goals, while providing a financial return.- Deepening our partnership with the City of London, through the Sustainable Development Capital Initiative, which is aiming to develop new investment products to mobilise private investment in developing countries to deliver the Global Goals.

Department for Education

Schools: Asbestos

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of removing asbestos from school buildings.

Nick Gibb: The Department takes the safety of pupils, staff and visitors to schools very seriously.The Department has not determined the cost to the public purse of removing asbestos from the entire school estate, as the decision to remove asbestos is made on a case by case basis.Expert advice from the Health and Safety Executive is that if asbestos is unlikely to be damaged or disturbed, then it is best managed in situ. The Department is clear that if asbestos does pose a safety risk and cannot be effectively managed in situ, then it should be removed from schools.Since 2015, the Department has allocated over £7.4 billion to those responsible for school buildings to maintain and improve the school estate, including removing asbestos when it is the safest course of action. In addition to this, asbestos is a factor in choosing which buildings to re-build through the Priority School Building Programme.

GCSE: Music

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to increase the take-up of Music GCSE courses by pupils.

Nick Gibb: Music is compulsory in the national curriculum and the Government is providing funding of over £300 million for music education hubs between 2016 and 2020. A report published last year by Birmingham City University showed that in 2016/17 the hubs taught more than 700,000 children to play a musical instrument with their class. The national curriculum does not apply in academies, but all state-funded schools have to provide a broad and balanced curriculum. All pupils who want to study music at GCSE will have the opportunity to do so. Since 2009/10, the percentage of the GCSE cohort in state funded schools taking the music GCSE has fluctuated but remained broadly stable at between 6% and 7%. It currently stands at 6%. In order to ensure all pupils are able to enjoy a high quality music education, the Department is developing and publishing a non-statutory model music curriculum for Key Stages 1 to 3. This will expand on the statutory programmes of study and act as a benchmark for all schools. The model curriculum will provide pupils with the knowledge and skills which enable them to embark with confidence on a GCSE course of study. This model curriculum will be made freely available to schools. We have also announced plans to refresh the National Plan for Music Education.

Sex and Relationship Education

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require the provision of further information for parents on the material being used to teach sex and relationships education in schools; and if he will make a statement.

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what research his Department has (a) commissioned, (b) plans to commission and (c) evaluated on the effectiveness of teaching sex education in schools; and if he will make a statement.

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when information on obtaining abortion was first included in school sex education lessons; at what age pupils are provided with such information; who he consulted on that information; what recent representations he has received (a) in favour of and (b) against the current policy; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The Government has no plans to bring forward further legislation relating to relationships education and relationships and sex education (RSE). Schools will be required to have regard to the statutory guidance for the subjects. The draft guidance sets out that when schools consult with parents on their relationships education and RSE policy they should provide examples of the resources that they plan to use when teaching, as this can be reassuring for parents. Schools must also ensure that lessons are appropriate to the age and religious backgrounds of pupils. The Department is supporting schools in the implementation of these subjects and expects this support to include advice on positive engagement with parents. Ofsted reported on the quality of provision for personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE), which covers sex and relationship education, in its 2013 report. The Department is considering what further information on the provision of the new curriculum may be needed. The report can be accessed here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/not-yet-good-enough-personal-social-health-and-economic-education. In 2015, the Department published a paper highlighting the impact of the provision of PSHE. The evidence summary provided a high level overview of recent reviews of personal wellbeing education and interventions which could be applied during PSHE lessons, including sex education. The paper can be accessed here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/412291/Personal_Social_Health_and_Economic__PSHE__Education_12_3.pdf. Sex education has been compulsory in all maintained secondary schools since 1993. The Sex and Relationship Education Guidance (2000) includes education around abortion, and it is for schools to decide at what age it is appropriate to introduce the topic. The new draft statutory guidance covers intimate and sexual relationships, including choices in relation to pregnancy, and sets out that teaching should provide accurate, impartial information on all options, including keeping the baby, adoption, abortion and where to get further help. It also sets out that secondary pupils should be made aware of legal provisions when relevant topics are being taught. Schools may address abortion in other areas of the curriculum, such as religious education. The content of the draft guidance was subject to a public consultation from July to November 2018 which attracted 11,000 online responses from a wide range of respondents including head teachers, teachers, parents and young people. The Government response to the consultation can be accessed here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/780768/Government_Response_to_RSE_Consultation.pdf.

National Curriculum Tests: Costs

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the total cost of administering SATS at (a) Key Stage 1 and (b) Key Stage 2.

Nick Gibb: The national curriculum assessment (NCA) key stage 1 (KS1) and end-of-key stage 2 (KS2) tests (commonly known as SATs) are developed and delivered by the Standards and Testing Agency (STA), an executive agency of the Department for Education.The following is an estimation of the costs to the STA to administer the KS1 and KS2 tests in a typical financial year, based on actual costs incurred by the STA in financial year 2018-19: KS1 tests: £4,318,861KS2 tests: £30,240,602Phonics Screening Check: £681,399Centralised costs: £7,733,041Centralised costs cannot be directly attributed to particular tests. This is because many elements of the STA’s test development and delivery resources and processes are centralised across all tests to ensure efficiency and value for money. Centralised costs include work on other areas of STA’s remit, such as professional skills tests for teachers and new assessments currently in the development and pilot phase.

Prisoners: Parents

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support services are available in (a) Wales and (b) England for children aged under 16 who have had a parent sentenced to a period in custody.

Nadhim Zahawi: The government is committed to ensuring that all children get the help and support they need to live happy and fulfilled lives. The individual circumstances and needs of every child with a parent in custody can be very different, as will the necessary support.Where a parent is in prison, we are committed to strengthening family ties, which can have benefits both for reducing re-offending and, where contact is appropriate, for the welfare of children. To ensure that children can visit parents in prison, the Assisted Prison Visits Unit can provide financial assistance to families in Wales and England in receipt of certain benefits or on a low income. Additionally, the Ministry of Justice has a range of measures to help strengthen and maintain communication and engagement between prisoners and their families. These include facilitating family days alongside programmes to promote family engagement and parenting to aid an individual’s rehabilitation.The Ministry of Justice, in partnership with Barnado’s, operates the National Information Centre on Children of Offenders website, which provides information for all professionals who come into contact with the children and families of offenders.The needs of children with parents in prison are likely to be seen in the school environment. In England, the statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ is clear that school staff should consider the additional needs of children with parents in prison. The guidance highlights the fact that these children are at risk of poor outcomes including poverty, stigma, isolation and poor health. Education in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Government.Many children of offenders will be disadvantaged and need support. Children’s services in Wales are a matter for the Welsh Government. In England, local authorities are best placed to identify, assess and respond to these needs: a child who has a parent in prison could receive early help from a range of agencies, or support from children’s social care if there are safeguarding or welfare concerns such that the local authority assesses that this is needed. The duties and procedures that individuals and agencies should follow are set out in the statutory guidance ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’.

Higher Education: Fees and Charges

Sir Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will hold discussions with the devolved Administrations on the setting of fees for higher education courses after the UK has left the EU.

Chris Skidmore: The setting of fees for higher education courses is devolved. It is for each administration to decide how they deploy their resources and develop their higher education system. The approach followed after we have left the EU is a matter for each administration to determine, taking account of the provisions in the Withdrawal Agreement. There are no plans to hold discussions with the devolved administrations on this at present.

Pupils: Personal Records

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether (a) nationality and (b) country-of-birth data collected in the school census (i) has not been, (ii) is not and (iii) will not be processed for Home Office purposes; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The Department collected data on the nationality and country of birth of pupils via the school census between autumn 2016 and summer 2018. This data was collected for research purposes and has not been shared, nor will it be shared, with the Home Office for immigration enforcement purposes.The Home Office can only request information from the Department for Education for immigration enforcement purposes in circumstances where they have clear evidence a child may be at risk or there is evidence of illegal activity, including illegal immigration. In such cases limited data including a pupil’s address and school details may be requested from the National Pupil Database. It is right that this data is shared if it helps to keep a child safe from harm or to disrupt a crime.The basis for sharing information is set out in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Department for Education and the Home Office. A copy of this agreement is available in the house library.

Department for Education: Disclosure of Information

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many non-disclosure agreements his Department has entered into with departmental staff in each of the last five years.

Anne Milton: The department does not use non-disclosure agreements.

Special Educational Needs: Finance

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to increase funding for special educational needs.

Nadhim Zahawi: The funding of children with special educational needs (SEN) is a devolved issue.In December 2018, the government announced that it would allocate an additional £250 million in revenue funding for pupils with complex SEN across England, across the financial years 2018-19 and 2019-20. The allocation to each local authority can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/high-needs-funding-arrangements-2019-to-2020.We will also, of course, be making a strong case in the next spending review to ensure that the high needs budget provides the funds for schools to make the right provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

Young People: Carers

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effect of Ofsted excluding young carers from its 2019 Draft Inspection Framework on schools' ability to identify young carers early and initiate support.

Nadhim Zahawi: No group of pupils is considered less important than another, and we would not expect schools to become negligent in their support of vulnerable pupils due to an absence of named groups in Ofsted's proposed new inspection framework.While Ofsted could list all of the different groups that schools need to consider, including young carers, it believes an exhaustive list fails to acknowledge that many pupils may fit into several groups. Ofsted has consulted on its proposed new inspection framework and its response to the consultation will be published shortly.The government is committed to supporting young carers, so they are safeguarded from excessive or inappropriate caring responsibilities and supported to achieve their full potential.As well as delivering the commitments set out in the Carers Action Plan 2018-20, we have also launched the Children in Need Review. This will identify how to spread best practice on raising educational outcomes of children in need, including young carers assessed as being in need.

Children: Day Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the take up of the 30 hour childcare entitlement in West Sussex.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the actual cost per hour to independent nurseries of the 30 hour funded childcare entitlement in West Sussex; and on what basis this data is calculated.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many independent nursery providers have contacted him to raise concerns about the viability of the funded 30 hour childcare entitlement on their nurseries.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children by years of age receive the 30 hour funded childcare entitlement in England.

Nadhim Zahawi: The government is committed to ensuring all parents who are eligible for the 30 hours free childcare entitlement are able to take up a place that suits their childcare needs.Data from the National Statistics release ‘Education Provision for Children Under 5 Years of Age in England (January 2018)’ suggests around 3 out of 4 eligible children have taken up some extended hours, however it is not possible to generate an equivalent figure at local authority level due to the relatively small population that we are estimating within sub-national geographies. As at 31 January 2019, 5,728 30 hours eligibility codes had been issued in West Sussex for the Spring term, 5,144 of these had been validated and as at 28 March 2019 5, 230 children were taking up a place in the West Sussex.We plan to spend around £3.5 billion on our early education entitlements this year alone – more than any other government. Our funding rates for the early education entitlements were based on our Review of Childcare Costs, described as “thorough and wide ranging” by the National Audit Office. We recognise the need to keep our evidence base on all aspects of early years sector costs up to date and we continue to monitor the provider market closely through a range of regular and one off research projects. That included the 2018 Early Years Provider Costs report which looked at a representative sample of providers, both in terms of provider type and geography, and gives an insight into various aspects of the provider market.Data published by Ofsted in November 2018 shows that the number of childcare places available has remained broadly stable since 2012. Since the rollout of 30 hours commenced in September 2017, the sector has risen to the challenge with more than 340,000 3 and 4 year old children benefitting from a place and we receive contact regularly from the sector on this and associated topics. We are now in the second year of national delivery and an estimated 325,000 children were in a 30 hours place in the spring term 2019 – this is an increase on the spring term 2018 and 92% of the codes were issued. Although childcare providers do not have to offer the free 30 hours, our 2018 Providers Survey shows that the majority of providers in England with 3 to 4 year olds are offering and delivering 30 hours.The data relating to the number of children receiving 30 hours in England is published within tables 5LA and 7LA in the ‘Education Provision for Children under 5 Years of Age (January 2018)’ statistical publication, available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/education-provision-children-under-5-years-of-age-january-2018.

Nurseries: Admissions

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of independent nursery school places have been (a) created (b) lost in each of the last three years.

Nadhim Zahawi: This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Ministry of Justice

Reoffenders: Drugs

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to reduce re-offending rates among people with drug dependency.

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to improve support for prisoners with drug dependency when they are released from prison.

Lucy Frazer: We are developing a Community Sentence Treatment Requirement ‘protocol’ to ensure improved access to mental health and substance misuse services for offenders who need them. It focuses on reducing reoffending by addressing the health needs of offenders that may be contributing to their offending behaviour.Our prisons also seek to reduce reoffending through rehabilitation and overcoming substance misuse problems is a key enabler of this. To support this, on 3rd April we published a national Prison Drugs Strategy which includes guidance to restrict supply, reduce demand and build recovery as well as examples of best practice to support prisoners with substance misuse issues.Our duty of care and responsibility doesn’t stop when a prisoner leaves prison. We are working with health partners to increase support for offenders leaving prison and are investing an additional £22m per annum over the remaining life of the Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRC) contracts to ensure that CRCs deliver an enhanced Through The Gate service to offenders leaving prison. In their Long Term Plan, NHS England have proposed introducing a ‘RECONNECT’ service to improve continuity of care from custody. The Ministry of Justice and HMPPS are working in close partnership with NHS England to implement this plan.

Prisoners' Release: Drugs

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) male and (b) female prisoners serving sentences of six months or less who were identified as having a substance misuse need were released from custody in the quarter July to September 2018.

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) male and (b) female prisoners servicing sentences of over six months with a substance misuse need were released from custody in the quarter July to September 2018.

Lucy Frazer: The MoJ does not hold information on the number of male and female prisoners with a substance misuse need serving either (a) a sentence of six months of less or (b) a sentence of six months or more released from custody between July to September 2018. NHS England commission health care services in prison and therefore hold data on the number of prisoners with an identified substance misuse need. NHS England do not hold data on the length of a prisoner’s sentence though and it is not currently possible to cross-reference the two data sets. In their Long Term Plan, NHS England have proposed introducing a ‘RECONNECT’ service to improve continuity of care from custody. The Ministry of Justice and HMPPS are working in close partnership with NHS England to implement this plan. There is persuasive evidence showing community sentences, in certain circumstances, are more effective than short custodial sentences in reducing reoffending. Unless we tackle the underlying causes of offending, we cannot protect the public from being victims of crime. Effective community orders can address offenders’ behaviour, answer their mental health and alcohol or drug misuse needs, and provide reparation for the benefit of the wider community. We are developing a Community Sentence Treatment Requirement ‘protocol’ to ensure improved access to mental health and substance misuse services for offenders who need them. It focuses on reducing reoffending by addressing the health needs of offenders that may be contributing to their offending behaviour.

Parole: Complaints

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many complaints have been received from victims of serious crime in the last three years that they have not been consulted about parole decisions in respect of the person convicted of the crime.

Lucy Frazer: Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) does not hold information centrally about the number of complaints from victims of serious crime that they have not been able to exercise their rights with respect to the parole reviews for the offenders concerned, in line with the Victim Contact Scheme (VCS). Complaints are investigated and dealt with locally by the Probation Service. The Probation Service takes complaints from victims extremely seriously and will always endeavour to resolve the complaint informally if possible, and to the victim’s satisfaction. We are determined to drive up the performance of the VCS, which is for victims of the most serious sexual and violent crimes, where the offender receives a prison sentence of 12 months or more, or a hospital order. We are looking at how we can develop a more streamlined process to reduce the risk that eligible victims miss the chance to be offered the VCS. We are also committed to improving the victim’s experience of parole reviews. Since May 2018, victims have been able to request a Parole Board decision summary, which explains how the panel reached its decision. Later this year, we will introduce a reconsideration mechanism, which will enable victims to request a reconsideration of a Parole Board decision, via the Secretary of State, if it appears to be seriously flawed.

Prisoners: Parents

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department holds data on the number of prisoners who have had one or both parents sentenced to custody in the past.

Lucy Frazer: Strengthening the ties individuals have with their families and friends is not only important in reducing an individual’s likelihood of reoffending, it can also contribute to reducing the prospect of intergenerational offending by their children.We do not collect data on the number of prisoners who have had one or both parents sentenced to a period in custody, but previous research has shown that 65% of boys who had a parent who was an offender went on to be offenders themselves.In September 2016, Lord Farmer was commissioned by the then Secretary of State to undertake a review focusing on the importance of family engagement to reduce reoffending, to improve the quality of interventions delivered within prisons and to prevent intergenerational crime as part of prison reform.The Farmer report, ‘The Importance of Strengthening Prisoners’ Family Ties to Prevent Reoffending and Reduce Intergenerational Crime’ was published on 10 August 2017, making recommendations designed to improve and standardise the provision of family services across the prison estate.Recommendations from the report are being implemented and the Department publishes regular progress updates through the National Information Centre on the Children of Offenders website.

Parole

Alberto Costa: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the transparency of parole board hearings.

Lucy Frazer: In May 2018, the Government amended the Parole Board Rules to allow victims and other parties to request summaries of Parole Board decisions for the first time. To date, the Parole Board has produced over 1000 decision summaries. This has helped victims and the wider public have a greater understanding of parole decisions. Decision summaries have been an important first step in bringing greater openness to the parole system. In September 2018, the Government’s Victims’ Strategy recognised that more must be done to increase the transparency of the parole process and the way we communicate with victims. Since then, in February 2019, the Secretary of State published a Review of the Parole Board Rules which further underlined the Government’s commitment to improve the transparency of the parole process. In light of this review, the Parole Board have committed to:produce Standard Practice guidance to provide clear and public information about how release decisions are reachedimprove other publicly available information about how parole workscontinue to work with broadcast and print media to increase understanding of how parole works, including allowing the media to observe some hearings These measures will improve public understanding of how the parole system operates, support greater consistency in decision making and provide accountability where standards may not have been met. In February 2019, the Secretary of State also launched a Tailored Review of the Parole Board. This review will include further reflection on the transparency of the Parole Board, its governance, decision making and the information and data it shares with the public (building on the work of recent reviews). The Tailored Review will publish its findings in the summer of 2019.

Victims: Courts

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the law in supporting victims in court.

Edward Argar: Going to court can be a daunting experience, that is why the Victims Strategy sets out how we will better support victims during the court process, such as improving the information available for victims attending court and making the court environment more victim friendly. MoJ grant funds the court-based Witness Service to ensure that witnesses, some of whom are victims, can access timely, high quality emotional and practical support to help them feel more confident and informed so they can give their best evidence in criminal courts. Over 2019/20 and 2020/21, we will provide total funding of up to £22.4m to Citizens Advice for delivery of the Service. The Service provides pre-trial and on-the-day support, as well as an enhanced service for vulnerable and intimidated victims and witnesses tailored according to need. There are also a range of special measures available to assist vulnerable and intimidated witnesses (including vulnerable and intimidated victims) to give their best evidence in criminal proceedings. The measures available include the power for a court to order arrangements for live video links, video recorded evidence-in-chief, and screens around the witness box.

Victims

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment the Government has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals for a victims' law.

Edward Argar: Our vision is one of a justice system that supports even more victims to speak up with the certainty that they will be understood, protected, and supported whether or not they report a crime, and regardless of their circumstances or background. That is why we committed in the Victims Strategy, published on 10 September 2018, to bring forward proposals for a consultation on the detail of a Victims’ Law in 2019. In taking this work forward we have already begun discussions with both victims and victims’ groups. I am fully assured that we are on target to deliver this as well as the other commitments set out in the Strategy and we will, of course, work closely with Parliamentary Authorities on legislative slots once we are clear on the proposals for legislation.

Reoffenders: Young People

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the role of employment and education in reducing rates of reoffending among young people.

Lucy Frazer: We believe that education, employment and training play a key role in improving the life chances of children who offend and reducing the likelihood of them reoffending. In 2016 we published a literature review of international evidence on what works in managing children and young people who offend. This indicated that educational engagement and attainment can be relevant to resettlement success and that children who return to school after offending and remain there are less likely to reoffend. Furthermore, research in relation to adult offenders has shown that offenders who gained PAYE employment within a year of being released from custody were less likely to re-offend. Education provision is at the heart of our reforms of youth secure provision. Our long term vision is of a youth secure estate based largely around secure schools -secure units that are registered as academies, run by child-focused, creative providers with experience in the education sector. We are also working to deliver reforms to education provision in the existing estate. We have devolved additional funds to YOI governors to commission additional educational, vocational and enrichment activities that best engage and meet the needs of the children in their establishments. This amounted to £0.3m in 18/19 and we are investing a further £1.8m in 19/20 across the four sites.

Legal Aid Scheme

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when criminal legal aid remuneration rates were last raised in real terms for legal professionals.

Lucy Frazer: Criminal defence lawyers play a crucial role in upholding the rule of law and the Government greatly values their contribution. Last year we spent £1.6bn on legal aid, with more than half on criminal legal aid. In addition, following consultation with the profession, we increased overall funding of the Advocates Graduated Fee Scheme (AGFS) by £23m and brought forward a 1% increase in fees which came into effect along with the new scheme on 31 December 2018. This represents a 10% increase on AGFS spend in 2016-17. In addition, we are conducting a fundamental review of criminal legal aid fee schemes, which will report back by the end of Summer 2020. This will go far beyond our previous proposals, including pre-charge advice at the police station, advice and advocacy services in the Magistrates’ Court, and litigation and advocacy services in the Crown Court.

Probation

Faisal Rashid: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to announce proposals for the future of the probation system.

Lucy Frazer: Last year, we announced our decision to end current Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) contracts early. Following this, we launched a consultation, Strengthening Probation, Building Confidence, and engaged with stakeholders and the market on the future of the probation system. We are currently considering options for future delivery arrangements and reflecting carefully on the balance of public, private and voluntary sector involvement. It is important that we take the time to get this decision right. We will aim to publish a formal response to our consultation, detailing our future plans later this year.

Prisons: Contracts

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to page 9 of the Prison Operator Competition Brochure, published by HM Prison & Probation Service in November 2018, if he will place a copy of the Contract Summary in the Library.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to page 9 of the Prison Operator Competition Brochure, published by HM Prison & Probation Service in November 2018, if he will place a copy of the New Build Resettlement Prison Model for Operational Delivery in the Library.

Lucy Frazer: Copies of the Contract Summary and the New Resettlement Prison Model for Operational Delivery are attached to this reply and will be placed in the House of Commons library. The Contract Summary Brochure that has been placed in the library (PQ231525), provides further information on models for operational delivery.



New Build Resettlement Prison Model
(PDF Document, 2.05 MB)

Treasury

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Laura Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will (a) undertake a review of the compensation afforded to people affected by Equitable Life and (b) issue guidance on recourse available to people affected in Crewe and Nantwich constituency that have (i) not been paid and (ii) received insufficient compensation.

John Glen: There are no plans to reopen the Payment Scheme or review the £1.5 billion funding allocation previously made to it. The Equitable Life Payment Scheme closed to claims in 2015 and further guidance on the status of the Payment Scheme after closure is available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equitable-life-payment-scheme#closure-of-the-scheme.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Planning Permission: Biodiversity

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether decisions to grant planning consent are expected to adhere to the mitigation hierarchy when considering significant harm to biodiversity.

Rishi Sunak: The Government's expectations are set out in the revised National Planning Policy Framework. If a planning proposal might affect biodiversity, the local authority should consider the need for Information, Avoidance, Mitigation and Compensation in turn, as indicated in the supporting guidance, if its decision is to prove robust. Mitigation measures are generally put in place by means of planning conditions or planning obligations, depending on the circumstances; and compliance is then enforceable. Where a development cannot satisfy the requirements of the mitigation hierarchy, planning permission should be refused.

Housing: Sales

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the financial cost to vendors of residential property transactions failing to complete the legal purchasing process, in the latest period for which data is available.

Rishi Sunak: The Government does not collect data on the costs to vendors of residential property transactions which fall through. In a 2017 Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy survey, the average cost for a failed transaction for those respondents who only sold a property was £582, for those sellers who also bought a property it was £740 and for sellers who never successfully sold it was £650.

Council Housing: Standards

Mr Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of council homes meet the decent homes standard in each local authority in England.

Rishi Sunak: Everyone deserves a decent and safe place to live. We have seen clear improvements in decency in recent years. As at 1 April 2018, 4 per cent of local authority owned dwellings were non-decent across England. Over 516,000 local authority homes have been bought up to the Decent Homes Standard since 2010.The Department publishes data on the proportion of local authority owned non-decent homes in each local authority area at the Local Authority Housing Statistics (LAHS) section F question 17, which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/local-authority-housing-statistics-data-returns-for-2017-to-2018.

Local Government: Digital Technology

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to support digital innovation across local government; and if he will make a statement.

Rishi Sunak: Last summer, we co-published the Local Digital Declaration, built a dedicated team to support councils, and created a Local Digital Fund to accelerate delivery. We’ve already funded 16 projects seeking shareable solutions to local problems, and 200 digital skills training places for councillors and officers.

Parking: Unfair Practices

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to tackle unfair practices in the private parking industry; and if he will make a statement.

Rishi Sunak: I am delighted that the Parking (Code of Practice) Act, introduced by Sir Greg Knight and fully supported by Government, received Royal Assent on 15 March. The Act will seek to create an independent code of practice for private parking companies and a “one-stop-shop” for parking appeals, providing a fair deal for motorists across Britain.

Housing: Construction

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to encourage developers to build adaptable houses that can become homes for life.

Rishi Sunak: The Government is planning a review of accessible and adaptable housing standards in Part M of the Building Regulations. In the revised National Planning Policy Framework we have already strengthened the policy approach to accessible housing by setting out an expectation that planning policies for housing should make use of the Government’s optional technical standards for accessible and adaptable housing

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Disclosure of Information

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many non-disclosure agreements his Department has entered into with Departmental staff in each of the last five years.

Rishi Sunak: There are no figures available in respect of how many non-disclosure agreements MHCLG has signed with employees in the last five years.

High Rise Flats: Insulation

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant of the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government of 28 January 2019, Official Report, column 465, on Leaseholders: Removal of Dangerous Materials, if he will publish the names of the 80 buildings where owners and developers have made a commitment to fund the cost of remediation, or have had a warrantee claim accepted.

Rishi Sunak: I refer my Hon Friend to the answer of 11 March 2109 to Question UIN 228010.

Ministry of Defence

EU Defence Policy

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government has plans to continue to participate in EU defence policy, as a signatory to EU Council agreements after the UK has left the EU.

Mark Lancaster: The UK will be leaving the EU's common security and defence structures, and our future relationship with those structures will be as a third country. The UK will pursue a distinctive, independent, and sovereign foreign and defence policy that meets British interests and promotes our values. The Political Declaration negotiated with the EU recognises the shared threats and values of the UK and the EU and provides a framework for an ambitious, broad, deep and flexible future relationship. There is value in the UK and EU continuing to work closely together and our future partnership should offer us both the means to combine efforts to the greatest effect. Such a partnership must also respect the sovereignty of the UK and the decision-making autonomy of the EU.

East China Sea: Deployment

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the reporting by HMS Montrose of North Korea's evasion of sanctions, whether he plans to increase the number of patrols in the East China Sea.

Mark Lancaster: Through the deployment of HMS SUTHERLAND, HMS ALBION, HMS ARGYLL and HMS MONTROSE over the past year, the Royal Navy has helped lead the enforcement of UN sanctions on North Korea's illegal nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes.As a permanent member of the UN Security Council we are committed to ensuring that all UN sanctions are fully implemented. Until North Korea's nuclear programmes are dismantled, these sanctions will remain and the Royal Navy will continue to play a full role in enforcement as under our UN obligations.

Ukraine: Defence and Security

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent steps the Government is taking to safeguard Ukrainian defence and security.

Mark Lancaster: The UK remains a steadfast partner to Ukraine as it faces continued acts of aggression and threats to its sovereignty.British personnel have been involved in the training mission, Operation Orbital since February 2015; in this time they have trained over 13,000 members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. During a visit in September 2018 the Secretary of State for Defence extended Operation Orbital to March 2020.In November 2018, Russia seized three Ukrainian ships and 24 sailors. In response the Secretary of State accelerated the deployment of HMS Echo into the Black Sea, clearly demonstrating the UK's unwavering support both to Ukraine's territorial integrity and to ensuring freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. The UK continues to stand shoulder-to-shoulder alongside the international community in calling for the immediate release of the sailors.This year Operation Orbital has delivered support and mentoring to the Ukrainian Navy through training teams consisting of personnel from the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and the Army. The UK and Ukrainian Armed Forces will also gain further opportunities to develop capability and share expertise by committing to bilateral and multilateral exercises later this year. The Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has stated on several occasions that Operation Orbital has saved lives.Finally, the UK remains committed to supporting Ukraine as it implements wide-ranging reforms, including those set out in their Strategic Defence Bulletin. We view supporting defence reform, and reform more broadly, as a key priority in our bilateral engagement and in relation to Ukraine's EU and NATO aspirations. The UK has an assistance programme focused on Defence Reform and institution-building, as well as transparency in procurement and anti-corruption. This programme is facilitated by our Special Defence Advisor, embedded within the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence.

Department for Work and Pensions

Personal Independence Payment: Epilepsy

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people identifying as having a primary condition of epilepsy have been awarded personal independence payment (a) after mandatory reconsideration of their initial assessment and (b) at a tribunal in each year since 2013.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Cases where Epilepsy was listed as a Main Disability can be found in the table below. Table: PIP claimants with a primary disabling condition of Epilepsy - initial decisions where PIP was awarded or disallowed after a PIP assessment, and decisions changed/overturned at the Mandatory Reconsiderations (MRs) or Appeals stage, by financial year of initial decision, Great Britain.  Financial Year of Initial DecisionAll Initial PIP DecisionsInitial Decisions AwardedInitial Decisions – Disallowed due to failing the  assessmentOf Initial Decisions Disallowed:MR – Decision ChangedAppeal – Decision Overturned2013/141,05065041030202014/159,8104,6505,1602104502015/169,2902,6706,6201909302016/1714,7404,44010,3004302,2102017/1814,7705,4909,2807601,6902018/19 (April - December 18)11,3007,1804,120350150  Since PIP was introduced 3.9m decisions have been made in Great Britain across all health conditions up to December 2018, of these 10% have been appealed and 5% have been overturned. Under PIP, 27 per cent of working age claimants with epilepsy recorded as their primary disabling condition receive the highest level of support compared to 6 per cent under Disability Living Allowance when PIP was introducedData is based on primary disabling condition as recorded on the PIP computer system. Claimants may often have multiple disabling conditions upon which the decision is based but only the primary condition is shown in these statistics. The disability subgroup of Epilepsy in the PIP Computer System includes Cataplexy, Generalised seizures (with status epilepticus in last 12 months), Generalised seizures (without status epilepticus in last 12 months), Narcolepsy, Partial seizures (with status epilepticus in last 12 months), Partial seizures (without status epilepticus in last 12 months) and Seizures - unclassified. In the application process, claimants’ primary disabling condition is only recorded for collation by the Department at assessment.PIP data includes normal rules and special rules for the terminally ill claimants, and is for new claims only, and therefore excludes DLA reassessment claims.Data has been rounded to the nearest 10.Appeals data taken from the DWP PIP computer system’s management information. Therefore this data may differ from that held by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service for various reasons such as delays in data recording and other methodological differences in collating and preparing statistics.Decisions overturned at appeal may include a number of appeals that have been lapsed (which is where DWP changed the decision after an appeal was lodged but before it was heard at Tribunal).Some decisions which are changed at MR, and where the claimant continues to appeal for a higher PIP award, are then changed again at tribunal appeal. Therefore, the number of people who had a decision changed at MR and the number of people who had a decision changed at tribunal appeal cannot be added together.Claimants who have received benefit decisions more recently may not yet have had time to complete the claimant journey and progress to appeal.

Occupational Pensions

Helen Whately: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people who have benefited from pensions auto-enrolment are (a) women and (b) men.

Guy Opperman: 10.4 million workers have been automatically enrolled into workplace pension by more than 1.4 million employers. By 2019/20 an estimated extra £18.6 billion a year is estimated to go into workplace pensions as a result of Automatic Enrolment. Automatic Enrolment has reversed the decline in workplace pension saving. Automatic Enrolment was designed specifically to help groups who historically were poorly served or excluded from workplace pension saving, such as women and lower earners. It is equalising workplace pension participation among eligible men and women. In 2017, 81 per cent of eligible men and 80 per cent of eligible women in the private sector were saving into a workplace pension. This compares with 43 per cent and 40 per cent respectively in the private sector in 2012. The Government’s 2017 review of Automatic Enrolment https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/668972/print-ready-automatic-enrolment-review-2017-maintaining-the-momentum.pdfset out our ambition for the mid-2020s, with proposals to strengthen financial resilience for traditionally excluded groups including women.

State Retirement Pensions: British Nationals Abroad

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to index the value of the UK state pension for British pensioners who live in Commonwealth countries.

Guy Opperman: The policy on the up-rating of UK State Pensions paid to recipients living outside the UK has been in place for over 70 years. The UK State Pension is payable worldwide without regard to nationality. Entitlement to the UK State Pension is based on the national insurance contributions on a person’s national insurance record. The annual index-linked increases to UK State Pensions are paid to recipients overseas only where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example in EEA countries or in countries where there is a reciprocal agreement in place that provides for the up-rating of the UK State Pension. The Government has no plans to change the policy of all Governments, Labour, Coalition or Conservative since WW2.

Work Capability Assessment

John McNally: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 4 April 2019 to Question 237797 on Work Capability Assessments, what proportion of SC12 and SC13 targets were met by Maximus since the start of the contract, at (a) Stirling assessment centre, (b) the top three and (c) bottom three achieving centres.

Justin Tomlinson: SC12 and SC13 are national targets. We do not have contractual targets for individual assessment centres. Disproportionate costs would apply to answer this question, assuming the national target levels were applied by assessment centre, as the information is not readily available.

Universal Credit: Prisoners

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the effect of the roll-out of universal credit on prisoners who are at risk of losing rental accommodation.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of prisoners in (a) Wales and (b) England that have lost rental accommodation as a result of universal credit.

Will Quince: The Department is committed to providing personalised support for all claimants. This support extends to those who are in prison, to ensure rehabilitation is as seamless as possible upon release. To facilitate this, the Department has Prison Work Coaches who are based in resettlement prisons across the country. Prisoners serving short sentences are able to retain the housing element for up to 6 months to prevent them from being homeless on release. For those prisoners serving longer sentences the Prison Work Coach will engage with the prisoner 2-3 weeks prior to release and will identify any accommodation issues at this point. All discharged prisoners (sentence to 2 days or more) are supported on release by a MoJ contracted provider – a Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC), the CRC should consider any accommodation issues and support in signposting/engaging with the any appropriate support. If a Prison Work Coach has identified any accommodation issues during their intervention with the prisoner they would use the District Provision Tool (DPT) to identify any suitable support that might be available locally and refer or signpost the prisoner to that provision. For those engaging with the Prison Work Coach an advanced appointment will be made for as soon as possible following release. Once the claim to UC is made by the prisoner, they would be able to apply for an advance of their first payment straightaway, meaning that money could be made available on the same day as the claim is made. Managed Payments to Landlords are also available to support claimants, including prison leavers, who may struggle to manage their monthly payments. The information requested on the number of prisoners in (a) Wales and (b) England that have lost rental accommodation is not available.

Personal Independence Payment: Chronic Illnesses

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the announcement that personal independence payment claimants with severe or progressive conditions requiring high level support would not face reassessment for 10 years, how many claimants have been granted this exemption.

Justin Tomlinson: Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is not based on condition or on whether it is or isn’t lifelong, instead being based on the daily living or mobility needs arising. Between April 2013 and 31st January 2019, 375,550 PIP claimants were awarded an ongoing award at their initial decision. Ongoing awards do not have an end date, but will be subject to a light touch review at the 10-year point. Ongoing awards have been a feature of PIP since it was introduced in 2013. The change introduced last year provides clearer guidance on the process for Case Managers to follow and will ensure that those receiving the maximum support under PIP, and where their needs will not improve or deteriorate – such as those with a severe or progressive condition - receive an ongoing award with a light touch review at the ten-year point. Source: PIP ADSNotesAn ongoing award is defined as an award which doesn’t have an end date in the PIP ADS.Figures are based on the first decision only and does not take into account Mandatory Reconsideration or Appeal.Normal Rules only.Data includes both New Claims and DLA Reassessment claims.Data has been rounded to the nearest 10.This is unpublished data. It should be used with caution and it may be subject to future revision.Great Britain only.

Universal Credit

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance her Department has issued to mortgage lenders to help them to assess a claimant's payments under in universal credit in order to enable lenders to make a informed assessment on an applicant's disposable income.

Will Quince: The Department does not provide mortgage lenders with guidance or information regarding a UC claimant’s entitlement or award. It is a claimant’s responsibility to disclose information required by potential lenders, to enable them to accurately assess their disposable income.

Department for Work and Pensions: Disclosure of Information

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many non-disclosure agreements her Department has entered into with departmental staff in each of the last five years.

Will Quince: In February 2015, Cabinet Office published new guidance on non-disclosure agreements. This guidance requires a minister to approve the use of a non-disclosure agreement, and for government departments to hold a record of using such agreements. DWP has not entered into any non-disclosure agreements in the four years since February 2015 and our policy is not to use these agreements. Prior to February 2015, DWP did not centrally hold a record of the use of non-disclosure agreements and the information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has set a minimum number of people it will migrate to Universal Credit before concluding its pilot of the managed migration.

Alok Sharma: It is our aim to support all claimants on legacy benefits and tax credits in moving successfully Universal Credit. To help us learn how best to achieve this, we have sought powers to conduct a pilot phase involving up to a maximum of 10,000 claimants. This number is a ceiling, not a target. It reflects our commitment to return to Parliament with our findings before extending the move onto Universal Credit to more people. There has been no minimum number set for the people who will go through the pilot – we will start small and then increase numbers as slowly and gradually as necessary, learning and adapting as we go. The Department is currently working closely with a wide and diverse range of stakeholders to design the process and we are considering our approach to the pilot, including which groups or individuals we might begin to move first.

Universal Credit

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department has taken to implement the recommendation of the Social Security Advisory Committee to test and evaluate dummy runs of the full managed migration process in a cross-section of claimant scenarios before concluding the piloting phase of universal credit.

Alok Sharma: We accepted the Social Security Advisory Committee’s recommendation and the pilot phase will allow the Department to test our processes carefully to ensure that claimants on all legacy benefits with a range of characteristics can be successfully moved onto Universal Credit. Furthermore the Department is already undertaking user testing with individuals currently in receipt of legacy benefits and this will further inform the pilot.

State Retirement Pensions

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of (a) men and (b) women receiving a state pension under the old pension rate.

Guy Opperman: The information requested is published and available at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk Guidance for users is available at: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html As at August 2018, the most recent date for which data are available, there were 5,000,000 men and 6,800,000 women receiving State Pension calculated under the pre-2016 rules. (Source: DWP Administrative data. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100,000)

Department for Work and Pensions: Audit

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the difference is between her Department's Quality Team and Auditors.

Will Quince: The Department’s quality teams look at the quality of the decision making process delivered internally by the Department, whilst the Independent Audit provides assurance to the Department regarding the quality of the assessment reports delivered by the assessment providers.

Social Fund

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many social fund loan cases have been moved from the social fund computer system to debt manager since 2016.

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will estimate how many social fund loan cases moved from the social fund computer system to debt manager show an incorrect outstanding balance.

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to take steps to rectify incorrect outstanding balances on social fund loan cases on debt manager.

Will Quince: The migration of Social Fund debts onto Debt Manager commenced in August 2016. From August 2016 to 10 April 2019 we have migrated 1.12m Social Fund debts onto Debt Manager. As claimants may have had multiple Social Fund debts, the number of debtors will be significantly lower than this.  We continue to build in the appropriate checks and balances to ensure that Social Fund cases migrate correctly. Where an incorrect balance has been identified we take steps to correct the case. Corrections can be applied for different reasons, which mean we cannot estimate the volume of adjustments made to date.

Department for Work and Pensions: Brexit

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has deprioritised any Statutory Instruments in relation to the UK leaving the EU; and if she will publish the criteria her Department uses to deprioritise those Instruments.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 15 April 2019



The Department has not deprioritised any statutory instruments as part of the UK preparations to leave the EU. The Department for Work and Pension continues to work closely with the Department for Exiting the European Union and other Government Departments and preparations have been undertaken by staff as part of their regular duties.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Horses: Imports

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System will enable horses to be traced post import.

David Rutley: The Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System has been designed, for a scenario where the UK no longer has access to the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES), to enable notifications of imports coming into this country, so that appropriate border controls can be carried out and recorded. The notifications reveal the origin of the consignments just as TRACES does now and so can be used to trace a consignment back to its country of origin. It does not itself provide for traceability of movements afterwards, however, once in the UK, horses and other equines must be identified in accordance with UK law and recorded on the UK Central Equine Database (CED). This records the identification details of the equine, including the name and address of the owner. An exception is made for equines from other EU Member States that are only in the UK for a short stay for specific purposes such as competition, racing or breeding, on the basis that they are already fully identified in accordance with EU law. This will include a record having been made in the CED of their Member State of origin.

Countryside Stewardship Scheme

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship agreements Natural England plans to support in 2019; and how that figure compares with the level of ambition set out for the scheme in 2015.

Mr Robert Goodwill: When Countryside Stewardship was launched in 2015 Defra and Natural England set an ambition of delivering 500 new Higher Tier agreements each year. There have been four agreement rounds since then and there are currently 2,253 live Higher Tier agreements plus a further 782 woodland only agreements. Therefore, the ambition has been exceeded. For the current 2019/20 year the ambition is to deliver 400 new agreements. In addition to this we are extending a number of the expiring Environmental Stewardship Higher Level Stewardship agreements which are performing well in terms of meeting their environmental outcomes in Priority Habitat and Site of Special Scientific Interest areas.

Horse Racing: Animal Welfare

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward proposals to ban (a) starting stalls and (b) other forms of dangerous equipment in horse racing.

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to limit or reduce the number of fatalities in horse racing.

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he had with whom on ensuring that jockeys follow guidelines in respect of the use of the whip in horseracing; and if he will make a statement.

David Rutley: The Government is keen that the welfare needs of racehorses are well met, both during their racing lives and afterwards and any racehorse fatality is one too many. We are in regular discussions with the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), who are responsible for safety at racetracks, about how we can look at ways in which we can make horseracing safer and further reduce fatalities at tracks. The Government considers that whilst the BHA have made improvements to the welfare of racehorses, there is still more work to be done. That is why I will be meeting with the BHA soon, and pressing them for an action plan on improving the safety at starting stalls, and safety relating to other equipment. There are strict rules around the use of whip with stiff penalties for those riders who breach them. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes it an offence for anyone to cause unnecessary suffering to an animal and this includes racehorses on racetracks.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Disclosure of Information

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many non-disclosure agreements his Department has entered into with departmental staff in each of the last five years.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Core Defra has not entered into any non-disclosure agreements with departmental staff in the last five years.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Secondment

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of  25 March 2019 to Question 234783 on Department for International Development: Secondment, what teams within his Department the 27 requested roles from the Department for International Development will be in.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Over 80% of Defra’s agenda is affected by the UK’s departure from the EU and as a result many roles across the Defra group are now supporting work relating to it, either directly or indirectly. Of the 27 requested roles referred to by DfID, 23 were filled and the majority are in Programme Support and Policy roles.

Hedges and Ditches

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's policy is on the netting of hedgerows.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Guidance from MHCLG is already in place regarding netting with respect to development. The use of netting to exclude birds from potential nesting sites is justified in certain circumstances, for example when protecting crops or restricting pest species’ access to buildings. However, we all have a responsibility to our local environment and we would expect those using netting to do so only when truly necessary and in compliance with the relevant legislation.

Dangerous Dogs

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many cats were attacked by dogs in each of the last three years.

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department has provided to local authorities to prevent dog attacks on cats.

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department is proposing to do to reduce the number of dog attacks on cats.

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department will be working with the Department for Education to develop a plan of action to introduce education in schools promoting responsible dog ownership and preventing dog attacks on cats and other animals.

David Rutley: The Government is serious about tackling irresponsible ownership of dogs, which is why Defra is funding research being carried out by Middlesex University to gain a better understanding of the reasons for dog aggression, whether this is towards people or other animals, such as cats. We expect to have the findings of the research by the end of the year. In the Government’s response to the EFRA Select Committee report on controlling dangerous dogs, we committed to a plan of action with stakeholders on the most effective way to reach children across the country to help promote responsible dog ownership from an early age. We are taking this work forward in the context of the findings from the research project. Defra has provided local authorities and police with guidance in relation to the controls on dangerous dogs. This guidance is available on GOV.UK and the Local Government Association website in addition to the publication “Dangerous Dogs Law: Guidance for Enforcers”, which is available on GOV.UK. There are no central records of the number of dog attacks on cats.

Renewable Energy: Waste

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many energy from waste facilities provide energy for the national grid.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: There are 53 operational Energy from Waste facilities permitted by the Environment Agency that generate power for the National Grid.

Waste Management

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what advice his Department has issued to local authorities on choosing a commercial waste management partner.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Defra has not issued advice on this.

Renewable Energy: Waste

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many energy from waste facilities both feed energy into the National Grid and use heat produced to warm local public facilities such as local government.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: We do not have detailed records of heat customers.

Renewable Energy: Waste

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many energy from waste facilities both feed energy into the National Grid and use heat produced to warm local public facilities such as universities.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: We do not have detailed records of heat customers.

Renewable Energy: Waste

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many energy from waste facilities both feed energy into the National Grid and use heat produced to warm local public facilities such as health.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: We do not have detailed records of heat customers.

Gases: EU Law

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps is he taking to ensure that all European regulations on gases are being continued after the UK leaves the EU.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Necessary regulation has already been approved by Parliament and will come into effect when the UK leaves the EU.

Electronic Equipment: Recycling

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of which local authorities have been most successful in collecting electronic and electrical waste waste for recycling.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: There has been no assessment undertaken on which local authorities have been most successful in collecting electronic and electrical waste for recycling and none is planned.

Food: Prices

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what contingency plans the Government has in place to support vulnerable people in the event food prices rise significantly in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) minimise food disruption and (b) consider the possible effects food shortages could have on vulnerable groups in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal; and if he will make a statement.

David Rutley: The UK has a high degree of food security, built on access to a range of sources including strong domestic production and imports from other countries. This will continue to be the case when we leave the EU, with or without a deal. The size and diversity of the industry is a key factor in enabling the food sector to remain resilient to food supply chain disruptions.The Government has well established ways of working with the food industry to minimise potential disruption. This includes working with Defra’s long established Food Chain Emergency Liaison Group (FCELG), which allows Government and industry to work together to plan for and respond to any food supply disruption. This industry group’s membership is drawn from across the agri-food chain sector and includes other relevant government departments, Devolved Administrations and agencies. On food prices, we have observed that the most important drivers of change in the cost of food are global food commodity prices, exchange rates and oil prices. This will continue to be the case once the UK has left the EU.

Recycling

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many local authorities are successful in meeting Government targets for recycling.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Coalition Government removed targets for local authorities. Information on local authority recycling rates in England can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-collected-waste-management-annual-results and here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/766014/LA_and_Regional_Spreadsheet_201718_rev2.xlsx

Waste Management

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what level of investment his Department is making in new research on the better management of local authority waste management.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: We are working with Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to build the existing evidence base and to understand the most cost effective ways for LAs to achieve consistent recycling collections. WRAP has also been working across a number of key areas to develop resources, guidance and practical examples to assist LAs and organisations.

Recycling

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to publish a strategy for recycling waste.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. The Resources and Waste Strategy was published on 18 December 2018.

Salmon

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the Environment Agency’s ability to carry out the management of salmon stocks as a result of recent reductions in funding levels.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Environment Agency (EA), like the rest of the public sector, is playing its part in reducing the national deficit and delivering more with less. Both Defra and the EA recognise the challenges that reduced funding bring and the EA is adapting its approach accordingly. In 2015/16, the EA launched a new approach to partnership working to help it deliver more effectively and efficiently. Its 5 Point Approach to Salmon management (published in 2016), is a good example of how it is working with like-minded organisations to deliver shared priorities.

Fisheries

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the Environment Agency ability to carry out all its statutory duties in relation to fisheries; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The EA continues to fulfil its statutory duties in relation to fisheries. Freshwater fisheries regulation is a core role and unique activity that only the EA can fulfil. The EA makes resources available to deliver current regulations, including the rod and net licensing system; scheduled reviews of Net Limitation Orders; reviewing and consolidating fishery byelaws; making new byelaws where this is necessary to protect stocks; and determining fishery management permit applications.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Disclosure of Information

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many non-disclosure agreements his Department has entered into with departmental staff in each of the last five years.

Kevin Foster: None.

Cabinet Office

Ministers: Vacancies

Alan Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what ministerial vacancies exist; and when each one became vacant.

Mr David Lidington: The number of ministers appointed to Her Majesty's Government, and the roles to which they are appointed, are not fixed. As has been the case under successive Administrations, the number of ministers in post will vary from time to time, subject to the prevailing legislation in the Ministerial and Other Salaries Act 1975 and the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975.

Department for International Trade

Overseas Trade: China

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans he has to increase trade between the UK and China.

Graham Stuart: The Government works actively to increase trade between the UK and China, including through our overseas network led by HM Trade Commissioner for China, bilateral working groups, and through the broad support the Department for International Trade provides to UK exporters and to Chinese companies wishing to invest in the UK. Ministerial travel also supports this, and provides the necessary platform to progress market access for British goods and services. The Secretary of State travelled to China five times last year. He secured market access for UK dairy, worth £240m over 5 years, at the Department for International Trade-led Joint Economic and Trade Commission, and led the UK delegation to China’s inaugural International Import Expo in November, where the UK secured over £2bn worth of deals. The Government is also conducting a Joint Trade and Investment Review with China, an analytical exercise to explore all options to increase flows of goods, services and investment.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Extended Services

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 Mar 2019 to Question 226700 on Extended Services, what steps the Government is taking to ensure there is a clear pathway from Play Services to Youth Services for children and young people.

Mims Davies: Government is committed to supporting young people to develop the skills and resilience needed to succeed in life.We will be working closely with young people themselves, the youth sector, and other partners to develop a new Youth Charter, which will set out Government’s vision for young people over the next generation and beyond.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Secondment

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of  25 March 2019 to Question 234783 on Department for International Development: Secondment, what teams within his Department the nine requested roles from the Department for International Development will be in.

Margot James: My Department is working closely with DFID to match to resource requirements across our directorates. Individuals are matched to teams within the Department based on skill set and job history.

Internet: Safety

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Government's white paper on online harms, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed policies on the volume of people using smaller platforms to conduct illegal or harmful activity.

Margot James: The duty of care will apply to platforms that provide the services or tools that allow, enable or facilitate users to share or discover user-generated content, or interact with each other online - regardless of their size. Focussing on the services provided by companies, rather than their business model, sector or size, limits the risk that online harms simply move and proliferate outside of the ambit of the new regulatory framework.

Internet: Safety

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Government's White Paper on online harm, what plans he has to introduce an definition of what constitutes harmful.

Margot James: The Online Harms White Paper includes an initial list of online harmful content or activity in scope of the White Paper, based on their prevalence and impact on individuals and society. This list is, by design, neither exhaustive nor fixed. A static list would prevent swift regulatory action to address new forms of online harm, new technologies, content and new online activities.